First meeting
by Nainanox
Summary: A Byakuya centric story featuring his relationship with Rukia and Hisana. Mentions of RukiaxRenji and RukiaxIchigo
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the great Kubo Tite

Author's note: Just a random idea popping in my brain after Byakuya's confession in chapter 98 and 179. Please review if you like it.

**First meeting**

Byakuya Kuchiki walked by in the corridors of the Shinigami academy lost in his thoughts, barely acknowledging the respectful greetings and low bows of the students with a nod and not noticing the admiring gazes of the young girls. It was his first inspection there but luckily his reputation of being cold and aloof had preceded his visit hence nobody could guess that he was in fact in great turmoil underneath his stony composure. Ever since Hisana has passed away his days went by in a daze, he did everything mechanically barely paying attention to details. Even when his superior passed away and he had to shoulder all responsibilities of the sixth division as the vice captain, he barely reacted at all. Rumour in the sereitei was that he would be soon promoted but he couldn't care less, all the power of his noble clan could not save Hisana so he didn't give a damn about the upcoming post even though he was raised with this ambition.

Everyday for the past eight months he kept reliving the last days of Hisana, her slowly weakening body, the dying light of her violet eyes and her dwindling reiatsu. He had been unable to do anything for her not even find her sister, nor say the right words to soothe her. Despite his protests, she wouldn't stop apologising on how she had let him down by not giving him an heir and neglecting him while looking for her sister. Years of concealing his feelings as required to his station had made him unable to tell her how much he loved her, how happy her mere presence made him and how all warmth from his heart was seeping away as her life slipped away. The only thing he could do was promise her to find her sister and he was determined to do that at least but even for him it was a Herculean task.

The Rukongai was immense and how to look for a little girl in it, Hisana didn't even have a physical description of the girl. He had other worries too, his mourning had not even been complete that the other family members were already looking for a second bride, as the son of the clan he was expected to marry again and produce an heir but as far he was concerned he will always remain married to Hisana. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracts; he had felt a very familiar reiatsu, Hisana's. His heart began to pound, but he calmed down reminding himself that it was impossible besides this one was different. Hisana barely had any spiritual powers and this one was quite powerful and lively. Concentrating his mind he pinpointed its location: in the park adjoining the academy, concealing his reiatsu he used his shyunpo to appear at a safe distance from the familiar reiatsu.

His breath caught his throat as he saw a small dark haired girl eating lunch, he barely took notice of the tall red head next to her: She looked liked a younger version of Hisana, smaller and even frailer, eyes dark blue instead of violet. He never regretted the fact that Hisana had not given him children but he now knew that if they had a daughter, she would look exactly as the girl sitting under the tree when she grew up. This had to be her; he felt relief surging through him as well as pain of his loss more acute than ever. He watched her for a few more minutes teasing her tall friend who was easily twice her size and could snap her into two but she easily bossed over him, unlike Hisana she had a lot of spunk. As her friend complained, he caught her name: Rukia. He smiled at the irony, all the time spent looking for her while she was right under his nose and immediately returned to the Kuchiki mansion to prepare for her adoption.

Rukia had trouble concealing her surprise when she heard the adoption proposal from the Kuchiki clan. She had been leaving class when four regal looking people asked to have a private word with her in an empty; two of them looked like they were body guards, one of then was an old man carrying a scroll and the most impressive of them was a tall handsome man wearing a hair apparel that she knew was reserved for nobles. He had not spoken to her at all and barely glanced at her direction, but her eyes were strangely drawn to him, she recognized him as the vice captain of the sixth division: Byakuya Kuchiki, and his reiatsu was so high, even higher than that of the few captains she had met. She had a lot about him but never paid much attention; rumours about his upcoming promotion, and about his strength, he was predicted to become one of the most powerful shinigami ever. What could he possibly want with me she thought, it was the old man who replied, the Kuchiki clan wished to adopt her and if she consented she will become the little sister of the head of the family.

She was stunned, the Kuchiki clan was the foremost one among the nobles, and it was most exceptional that they were willing to take in a commoner like her but all of this didn't matter in front of the prospect that she was going to have a family, a real one like Renji and she had always dreamed about. "Renji" her thoughts stopped abruptly as the name came to her mind, if she was adopted she would most probably had to break her ties with him and she couldn't do that. Renji was the only family she had ever known; her best friend and she couldn't abandon him. As if sensing her confusion, the tall man glanced at her, despite his aloof demeanour she could see that his dark slate eyes held a lot of warmth and a glimmer of something else, pain perhaps. "This man would become my brother", she thought, her heart fluttering, he seemed so strong, solid and warm, and somehow she knew that by his side she would be safe but her heart still went out to Renji. Their talks were interrupted by a loud shout, Renji was boasting about his exploit and abruptly stopped when he saw that she had company. "We will await your answer eagerly" the old man said before the party retreated. She was surprised at her longing to follow them especially Byakuya, sighing she looked at the enquiring Renji, she would have to make a decision.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the awesome Kubo Tite

Author's notes: Some reviews please.

Rukia sighed as she adjusted her obi one last time looking at herself in the mirror critically. It was a lovely lavender kimono with dark blue butterflies, a gift to wear at the ceremony which will confirm her brother's captain's post. She was a Kuchiki now and expected to act as a dignified noble and she was having difficulty adjusting to this new life. Her separation with Renji had been hard, she missed him more than she'll ever admit but she was really happy to have a family now. However everything had not gone as she had expected since her adoption two weeks ago. She discovered that her new family consisted of only her and Byakuya-ni-sama, his parents had died a long time ago and wife had just passed away and despite her attempts to grow closer to him, he remained as distant as ever. She did have a lot of cousins, aunts and uncles but none approved of her adoption and they all avoided her but as long as she had her brother she didn't care. She never really had a family before and she did not know how to act around him, she hoped that their relationship will grow as strong and close as hers and Renji's but she doubted she'd ever have to drag a half naked and completely drunk Byakuya home as she had done for Renji. Smiling at her reflection, she went to join her brother at the entrance. As usual her brother merely glanced at her, and she had to suppress a tiny twinge of pain.

The celebration for the promotion was really magnificent, it was quite rare that two captains were promoted together; the third and six divisions both had new captains. She felt great pride when she was introduced as Byakuya's little sister to the other captains. She will be joining the Gotei 13 soon and she wondered which division she'll be placed in, but not all captains were present there, the second, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth division captains were all absent so she could be in for a surprise. She smiled at the memory of the encounter with the eighth division captain, he had lunged at her and given her a rib cracking hug while his haggard looking vice captain looked disapprovingly. "Isn't she cute? Your little sister looks adorable enough to eat" he had declared to Byakuya, "she looks just like…" he stopped when Byakuya glared at him, she briefly wondered what he would have said but dismissed it as a drunk's babbling. It would be fun to serve underneath such a captain she thought but part of her hoped to be placed in the sixth division to be closer to her brother.

Across the room, Byakuya was plagued by the same questions, where would she be safest, he mused. He could not place her in his own division, looking at her was too painful to him, she reminded him of Hisana endlessly. He had not expected that her resemblance to Hisana would be so difficult for him and he avoided looking at her thus missing the pained look in her eyes whenever he reacted coldly to her attempts at friendship. Once she was placed in a division, she'll make new friends and stop trying so hard to get close to him he thought. The eleventh and second was out of question due to the dangers involved and the seventh, ninth were too stern for her and he would never dream of entrusting her to that drunk Kyoraku. He was hesitating between the kind Aizen and warm hearted Ukitake, in the end he decided that the thirteenth would be best, that eccentric vice captain of Ukitake made the division's atmosphere the most welcoming, not that he approved of him. Kaien was a strong shinigami but his disrespect for rules made it difficult for Byakuya to like him but he had to admit that he was probably the best person to look after Rukia. To ensure her safety, he would have to take some further steps and went to talk to Yamamoto sou-taichou dono about his plans.

The next morning he made his way quietly to Ukitake's head quarters lost in his thoughts. His request was a breach of rules but he didn't care, of course he could also ask Rukia to give up her plans to be a shinigami, he knew that she will not disobey but he wished her to be happy. She was a really promising student according to her instructors and despite her incomplete education she had the ability of becoming a seated officer immediately and it was precisely that that he did not want. He knocked at the door of Ukitake's office and entered after being granted permission by a tired voice, "Good morning sempai", he greeted a tall thin man with long silver blond hair. The thirteenth division captain smiled at the pleasant surprise of his visit and greeted him warmly.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to the party yesterday, my cough had gotten worst. Congratulations to you and I really wanted to meet your sister"

"It's about her that I want to have a word with you. I'm placing her in your division, I've already spoken to Soutaichou-dono and he has agreed"

"Ah good, I hear she is a very promising new recruit, Kaien will take good care of her and she'll soon be among the officers"

"It's about that I want to talk, I don't want her to be a seated officer, ever. This is for her own good, as she will be safe from the most dangerous missions. I've already spoken to the others about this and they have no objections if you agree."

Ukitake frowned at this, "I hear that she is a very strong girl, surviving in the district 78 of south quarters, I'm sure she will be fine, you don't need to worry that much"

"Her protection is my responsibility now" he replied icily, "can I count on you for this?"

Ukitake nodded uncertainly, satisfied Byakuya left.

The next few days, his health did not improve and he had to send Kaien to welcome her to the division, without telling him about Byakuya's request. Kaien had been impressed by her and made a glowing report of her but added that she was a little gloomy. Ukitake smiled, his vice captain had already decided to take her under his wing irrespective of the fact that she was a member of the richest and most powerful family of the soul society. He had been most displeased when he was informed that his protégé had no chance of ever being promoted, even his wife the third officer Miyako had grown fond of her and protested against this. But none of them could do anything against Byakuya's intransigence.

Ukitake could have refused to give in to his request but when he met her for the first time, he understood Byakuya's anxiety about her; she was so small and frail. Her dark blue eyes made one want to protect her against all the dangers of the world and she looked so much like Hisana so he understood Byakuya's desperation to protect her. However his opinion about her was soon to change, as she grew more at ease in the division she began to act more like herself. She was a good fighter, witty and had a particular sense of humour and he found himself growing increasingly fond of her. She seemed happy in his division and he was glad for that.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Everyone who has read so far must know that Bleach belongs to Kubo-sensei

Author's note: Thank you for reading and reviewing!

Byakuya sighed and stared at the sky, disturbed, the crickets ceased chirping for a short while and then resumed as if nothing had happened. Life still goes on he mused, even if she had been gone for nearly a year but nothing seemed like moving forward to him. His memories still remain firmly focused on the frail woman who shared his life for such a short life. Being immortal, he had never really reflected on how precious time was and how little of it he would have with her. When he returned to his room, he was plagued by the memories of her, her delicate body pressed against his, her smooth porcelain skin beneath his fingers and lips, the scent of her hair as he buried his face in their silkiness and her timid caresses in the dark. Everything reminded him of her warmth and gentleness. Sleep evaded him almost every night and he took the habit of talking long walks in the garden.

How had he allowed himself to fall so deeply in love that living without her would be so unbearable and her only memento would bring him so much pain? The girl had not approached him in the last few weeks, their interactions limited to one lined greetings and he was glad for it. He wondered what had brought it about. Probably the fact that she was settling in very nicely in the thirteenth division. He was frankly relieved that Ukitake and Kaien were endorsing the role of father and brother that he should have filled. He was faintly worried that she might have been upset by what the servants had told her about the reasons for her adoption but he had decided to have that lie told to her for her own peace of mind. He was also pleased of the fact that Ukitake had granted his request, and he felt that he had kept his vow to her; her sister will always be safe and protected in his shadow albeit kept at a distance.

Alone in her room, Rukia was reminiscing her day at the squad, she had taken a good beating from Kiyone in training but Kaien-dono said that he was pleased by her progress. Initially she had felt really awkward there and disappointed that she was not in the sixth division. Everybody insisted on treating her like a princess due to her name and it made her sad now that she knew that she owed her adoption to dumb luck only. She had been hoping that Byakuya-ni-sama had seen some spark in her which led him to believe that she would be able to carry the pride of the Kuchiki family. After her first day had ended, she thought that she heard disappointment in Ni-sama's voice when he heard that she was not a seated officer and had felt ashamed. He's probably regretting adopting me on a whim, she was thinking the next day, I'm such a worthless shinigami, before being rudely interrupted by a scowling face.

"Arg…" she could not refrain from crying out and her vice-captain began berating her for her rude greeting again. He was really strange according to her and reminded her a bit of Renji in his exuberance but he seemed to genuinely like her irrespective of her family background. Inspired by him, the other division members started treating her like an ordinary rookie. The captain and the third officer too seemed to be fond of her and she was always called in their service at the head quarters. She started growing more confident by their trust in her and the hope that one day Byakuya-ni-sama would acknowledge her as a little sister and not merely as a reflection of someone else grew stronger. Her friendship and attachment to other division members grew stronger each day, especially with Kaien-dono. Kiyone liked to tease her endlessly about how much attention the captain and vice-captain paid to her and even his wife the third seat officer laughed at her when she blushed. Before slipping into the oblivion of sleep she said a silent prayer for Miyako-dono who would be leading a squad on a mission tomorrow.

"How had it all come to this?" She wondered the next day drenched in blood and water, walking in a daze in the dark making her way home. The images of the wounded body of Miyako-dono and the words of Kaien-dono still echoed in her mind. She was in a trance like state, oblivious to the accusatory looks as she dragged his body to his remaining family members. She did not react when her captain hugged her, assuring her that she had done her duty well and asked her to go home. She wanted Renji to take her in his arms and let her cry as he did when she had nightmares when they were younger but she couldn't do that either. She had abandoned him and no longer had the right to burden her with her miseries and all she had now was the tall back of the impassive man she called her brother.

The servants had been horrified at her state when she came back home and quickly helped her to undress and clean, and then led her to her brother in the room he was meditating. He wanted to know what happened to her, but he did not turn to face her when she entered the room, so she began narrating to his back, trying to keep from breaking down into tears. "You did well" he replied in an even voice, "You may leave."

"Please let me stay for a while, I won't disturb you."

He merely nodded, and she sat down in the far corner leaning against the wall. Despite his lack of response she found his presence strangely reassuring, but she was still tormented by feeling of worthlessness, she did not deserve being a Kuchiki, she had shamed her brother and clan, she had let down Kaien-dono.

He is probably regretting by adoption more than ever she thought as she watched her brother's back, but her resolve deepened, she may not deserve his love but she will never let him down again nor the Kuchiki name, she got up and left silently before his meditation was over. She would aspire to become a devoted and efficient shinigami like him.

Byakuya could feel anger and pain as he heard her story, anger at himself and Ukitake for failing to protect her. He was ashamed that he did even know what to do to alleviate her pain, so he only expressed satisfaction that she did her job. He was surprised at her request to stay by his side and he could only acquiesce. She remained silent and left after a while and she repeated this the following day and it became a habit of hers.

Soon her attempts at friendship ceased all together and he saw her throw herself completely into her work again, the incident did not seem to have left any marking sequels and he was pleased, he knew how much Kaien had meant to her but she was young and he was convinced she had gotten over it. Their interaction always remained limited to greetings or perfunctory enquiries about her job, except for time they spent together in the meditation room. Even then, they would rarely speak, they would just stay in each other's silent company both avoiding looking at each other and expressing their feelings.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Same thing as in previous chaps!

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews.

Renji winced inwardly as he bowed to the man he considered his greatest opponent. What an ironic twist of fate, for the past four decades he had worked hard relentlessly to catch up with this man and now he had to serve under him, but he was still pleased, what better way to catch up with Byakuya Kuchiki than tread in his shadow? He raised his head to watch the expressionless eyes of his new captain and felt a fresh wave of hatred, not only the man had stolen his Rukia away from him but he was slowly turning her into a block of ice like himself. The separation had been hard on him but he never let anyone know about it, hiding it behind his cocky façade.

Even after he joined the Gotei-13, the distance between Rukia and him was still as wide, but what he could not bear was the dead look in Rukia's eyes. To those who did not know her, Rukia was completely normal but he could clearly see the pain and anguish in her eyes. He was still at the academy when the incident occurred and he could do nothing to help her. In her rare visits to him, she did not even talk about what had happened, limiting herself to trivial chit chat. It was like watching a butterfly stuck on a surface of water, fluttering its wings uselessly trying to escape and slowly but surely drowning. Even in the squalor of the Inuzuri, Rukia shone like a star but in the splendour of the Kuchiki household her light was fading away and this infuriated him, that bastard was a total failure when it came to protect her. The only thing he could do, he surmised was to kick the ass of that arrogant brother of hers and take her back where she belonged: with him.

Byakuya dismissed his new vice-captain from his office. He had been told that he was among the most promising officers of the Gotei-13 but all he cared about was that this one lasted longer than the last one. Moreover this one was a friend of Rukia's, he'd rather not have him die under his commandment and upset her. Rukia had not come home for almost a month now and he was starting to get worried. The thirteenth division said that it was only a routine mission in Karakura district and knowing her strength he should not have felt anxiety but her absence disrupted his meditation. He remembered with a hint of pride when she had achieved her shikai, in his long career he had never seen a more beautiful zanpakuto but he had abstained from saying so. He simply expressed satisfaction at her progress. As usual while avoiding looking at her, he had missed her pain at her failure to be promoted once again.

Over the next few days he focused on not worrying needlessly about her and tried to get used to his new adjutant but the loud red head was fidgety and restless. After hesitating for a while he finally came to talk to him

"umm, sir, I've spoken to Ukitake-taichou, and he seems to find Rukia's long absence unusual too, shouldn't we try to find her?"

Byakuya frowned at this, he was worried too but it was not their place to launch a search party and he had faith in her.

"It's not within our jurisdiction to look for her; moreover standard procedure requires that we wait at least 3 months before labelling a shinigami as missing and since hollows in that area are being cleansed as usual it clearly indicates that she's still doing her job"

Renji stared at him in disbelief for a while and then left muttering under his breath. That boy is far too familiar with her he thought, I'll have to talk to her when she gets back. He knew that fear of him kept all potential suitors at bay but Renji obviously had missed the unspoken rule that said that getting too close to Rukia also meant getting too close to senbonzakura. A few weeks later his look of incredulity matched that of Renji's as he read through the report of the covert ops. The menos grande that had been eliminated recently had been particularly easy because of its scar. He had been alarmed when he learned that it had attempted to attack Karakura district but the shinigami that had hurt it was an orange haired male of whom soul society had no record of.

He was horrified at what that implied, she could not have done it, was a complete breach of laws; an offence serious enough to be dealt with by capital punishment. He had clearly told her during the adoption that being a Kuchiki meant upholding the laws at any cost. He was even more surprised at the missive ordering his vice captain and him to hunt and capture her; normally ordinary shinigamis would suffice. Fine, he thought grimly, she was his responsibility and he'll make sure that she faces the consequences of her acts. He went to get Renji.

"We're going to get Rukia back"

Renji's eyes lit up at this, finally the iceberg was reacting.

"we have orders to hunt and capture her. The use of force is permitted if she resists"

"Hunt, capture? Sir, we're talking about your sister here" he replied, confused.

"Rukia Kuchiki has been declared a class one felon by centre 46 for lending her powers to a human and we have been designated to bring her back and even kill her if we can't and eliminate that fake shinigami. Hurry up and get your zanpakuto, we're leaving for the Human world in fifteen minutes."

Once again he could only stare at the retreating back of his captain; no he can't be inhumanly cold as that. He must have a plan to help her as once they bring her back. He scowled at her stupidity, what could have brought her to do something so senseless? He's going to kick her stubborn ass real hard when he finds her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Anyone who does not know the awesome Kubo-sensei would not have read up to so far, so….

**A/N: **I initially meant this to be a one shot, somehow I can't stop writing perhaps because I was forced to write in French so much recently and my favourite language wants to regain dominance! I'm actually in examination period and write as a break from revision so this is why I update so fast! Please review if you like it.

Rukia smiled sadly as she watched Karakura town, how different the same place seems from different perspectives. To her shinigami eyes this had been just another ordinary area to protect except for the presence of the oddity known as Urahara but now it was the town where Ichigo and his friends, _her_ friends lived. For the past forty years she had strived to become a law abiding shinigami that was expected of a Kuchiki with only occasional violations such as her rare forays in the Rukongai with Renji or feigning ignorance about Urahara's activities. But ever since meeting Ichigo, the walls she had built around herself came tearing down.

She never understood why she had thrown herself in front of him to protect him from the hollow, she could have let him die and save his sisters only; even shinigamis could fail from time to time. Perhaps it was due to his strange resemblance to Kaien-dono, she never mentioned the fact to him. She knew how painful it was to be considered a mere shadow of someone else. But Ichigo was Ichigo, sometimes she got she impression of dealing with a small child which he was considering their age gap. Underneath that scowling face he hid a very soft side, which became apparent after a while, especially while dealing with his sisters.

She thought that she had become accustomed to the situation with her brother but when he saw Ichigo doting on his sisters she could not help feeling twinges of pain. She had more trouble dealing with her regrets of having dragged him into all this; she had failed once again, as a shinigami and as a Kuchiki. Byakuya-ni-sama would probably disown her if he learned her adventures in the human world: Ichigo, Urahara and Kon.

He would be furious to know that she had been befriending humans; she had grown too attached to Ichigo, Inoue, Chad and even to the stoic Quincy. She actually liked living in the warm atmosphere of Ichigo's home. She had not felt such affection ever since she lived in the Rukongai with Renji and the rest of the guys. Even Isshin-san with his antics made her smile, the closest thing she knew to a father was Ukitake-taichou and it would really shock her that if he started acting like that, not to mention Kiyone would probably kill her out of jealousy. There was something weird about that man that she couldn't quite place her finger on.

They were really a dysfunctional family and her sudden interruption in Ichigo's life did not help matters, so it was for the best that she disappeared from it just as suddenly.

She knew that hunters from soul society had been launched at her pursuit, despite her dwindling reiatsu sensing powers, she could feel them. It worried her that the auras felt so familiar but she dismissed it as due to her failing powers. She knew she could not escape them for long but the least she could do was to lead them away from Ichigo. Hopefully he would forget all about her and live the rest of his life peacefully.

Ichigo scowled deeper as he realised that Rukia was missing. Stupid bitch, he thought, not content with crashing into his life like that but she also had to heap additional worry on him. He wondered where she could have gone, probably to Geta-boushi's place where she took her showers and he glowered. He did not like the way that man looked at her and being dense as always Rukia never noticed anything. It was not exactly lecherous but there was something definitely peculiar about it. He felt angry at himself about his trail of thoughts, he was not jealous, it was just brotherly concern. The same brotherly concern that made him want rip Keigo from limb to limb whenever he made passes at her or give him the overwhelming desire to smash Ishida's glasses in his face every time he glanced at her slender legs.

But he definitely knew that it was not brotherly to admire her smooth porcelain skin, slight figure outlined in her flimsy dresses or how soft her thighs felt when she rode his back. It was Rukia for Christ's sake, she was nearly a guy! But having grown up with Tatsuki, even she felt like an epitome of femininity. He was just being stupid, he concluded, after all he was only a fifteen year old boy subject to hormones not that he thought that age brought any wisdom ( Isshin and Rukia being the older people he hung out most with). He would just have to hope that these feelings fade away before Rukia noticed anything. The next time he saw Geta-boushi he would have to refrain from punching him, as he thought about the possible shower peeking situations in the shop.

Rukia was really strange; she just goes crashing about the entire place ignoring the private space of people and despite her age she could be even more naïve than Yuzu. She rarely spoke about her life in soul society and he wondered whether she had any family or somebody special in her life. She'd probably scoff at him if he ever dared to ask but once when she was trashing in the closet probably due to nightmares, he silently stared at it's doors wondering whether to open them or not. He heard her murmur names, one sounded like Renji and the other like Kai.. something, he didn't quite catch it. He ignored the pain and jealously searing through his heart and went back to sleep. That girl was getting too much under his skin but she was the first person except his sisters, Chad and perhaps Tatsuki who knew the real him and the only one who could reach out to him behind his tough guy act.

As he lay dying on the sidewalk under the cold rain, he felt his heart turn to ice as he watched her leave with the two hunters. He realised that he was more worried about her than himself even as his life was slowly slipping away. He could not bear the silent plea in her eyes as she walked away most probably towards her death: Please don't throw away your life for me, please live. Idiot, it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have a life to throw away was his last thought as she disappeared and he sank into oblivion.

A/n: I know the summary says the story is about Byakuya and Rukia, but Ichigo and Renji also figure prominently, sorry!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Bleach does not belong to me, so please don't sue

**A/N: **Thank you to those who've read so far! The next chapter might be a flashback of Byakuya/Hisana. Should I continue?

Byakuya tried to chase the memories of the last night from his mind as he readied himself to attend the hearing of Rukia at the centre 46. As her captor he had been chosen to learn of her sentence and announce it to her. He remembered her eyes as she realised his presence; like a doe watching a hunter on the verge of shooting and arrow at her, she had no fear of Renji who had launched two mortal attacks on her, but she had fear of him. It made him sad, but at the same time it confirmed her guilt in his eyes. What exactly had she been doing for a Quincy to come to her rescue? The orange haired shinigami had surprisingly good skills for someone with so little experience and Renji acting foolishly had let him gain the upper hand over him. He had been forced to intervene, the farce was growing irritating.

What surprised him most was her reaction, in almost half a century she had never spoken back to him, never disobeyed him and now she was throwing her pride as a shinigami, and Kuchiki to rush to the side of that brat. He had noticed it too, the striking resemblance of the boy to her former mentor but he did not think that she would have been clinging to his memories like that. He then realised how little he knew her, he had gotten so used to her quiet presence and unquestioning obedience that she had started to feel like a real Kuchiki like himself inflexible, but he now realised how wrong he was. Go then, do as you please but be ready to face the consequences of your acts. The brat surprised him once more by being still alive but he could clearly see through her pretence of coming to her senses, for a moment he saw the little sister he had taken in and he understood, it was all just a façade.

He did not even flinch when the centre pronounced the death sentence for her, he accepted it calmly, he did not protest at the lack of a proper trial though it was uncommon but not unheard of. Nobody expected him to protest either, he was a Kuchiki and upholding the laws was his only duty, Rukia had acted with full knowledge of the possible outcomes so she must be prepared to pay for it now. He had tried his best to keep her safe from everything that could potentially hurt her but she rushed into all of this on her own nonetheless he still felt that he had betrayed his promise to Hisana. What could he do? He was bound to his other promise as well and more than the disappointment of failing her he could not help feeling grief. Had he grown attached to her after all these years, he had vowed never to let himself be vulnerable, not to have unnecessary feelings which could weaken him.

As he calmly told Rukia her fate, he saw Renji pale and grab the bars of her cell for support. Such a display of concern annoyed him for some reason and that's why he answered him almost sarcastically, but she remained calm, her eyes were downcast and had already accepted her fate, and he felt a hint admiration, she did have some Kuchiki pride after all perhaps he felt a little hurt that she was obviously not surprised or sad at his lack of reaction. As he walked away from the holding cell, he could not quell his conflicting emotions, he had allowed himself to grow weak again, regret, shame and guilt all welled up once again but he remained impassive as the third and eleventh division captains taunted him.

That Zaraki had always annoyed him and today more than ever but he did not give him the satisfaction of losing his temper. Instead he replied in his arrogant taunting way as he always did, but felt almost disappointed when Ichimaru-taichou interrupted the fight which would have allowed him to let off the steam a bit. Having no other duties for the day he decided to go home.

Renji was reliving the exchange between the two Kuchikis, they were practically strangers to each other he thought. How wrong had he been! He had thought that the power of the Kuchiki would have saved her but that man did not even lift a finger to help her and what amazed him more that Rukia was neither surprised nor disappointed by this but he could see the pain in her eyes. Even after her revelation about her brother's coldness he had refused to believe that it would come out to this. He had failed once again, he had let her go so easily last time, happy to watch from a distance but now she'll be snatched away for good.

He felt anger as he had never felt in his life, anger at himself, at his captain and at the orange haired shinigami that had humiliated him last time. He had given in to his emotions and rushed stupidly in combat but it had infuriated him to see Rukia so weak. She had always been the strongest one in their group but she was breaking down, years of living in the icy atmosphere was killing her and he felt angry at her, angry at her unwillingness to share her pain with him, to confide in him and seek comfort from him. He had grown strong only for her, so that his shoulders would be able to give her a refuge but she insisted on bearing her sadness alone.

He could not help feeling a rush of jealously when he saw her concern for him, but Rukia was just being Rukia he thought always picking up strays like himself. She always was there for others, helping and offering to share the load but when she was in trouble she closed all her doors, preferring to face her demons alone. Even now as the threat of death was hanging on her, she was trying to cheer him up, teasing and annoying him as if nothing was wrong. What was wrong with him? Was he falling in love or had he already fallen for her a long time ago? He honestly did not know and cursed his own stupidity and helplessness but what he knew that Rukia was the person who had always mattered most in the world to him and he was about to lose her for good. There was nothing he could do about it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Same as in the previous chapter!

**A/N: **Geisha here does not mean prostitute but entertainers skilled in the art of conversation, music and dance hired to make a gathering more lively, they often spend the night with clients too but not necessarily so.

The servants were surprised to see the Kuchiki lord home so early, even on his days off he went to office or spent his time training. They quickly scuffled in the corridors as he passed bowing their heads in reverence. Byakuya didn't know the name of a single of his servants except for the old butler who had served the family ever since he was a little boy but Rukia knew them all very well and often talked and joked with them. Normally this kind of behaviour was not tolerated but he never reprimanded her for it, allowing her this small joy. Now he wondered if he had been sterner, things would have turned out differently.

His steps automatically led him towards the wing of the mansion he lived in, but he passed by his room and headed towards a small room which contained the shrine of Hisana. As his footsteps echoed in the empty hallways, he mused at the fact that his mansion housed more servants than family members. It had never bothered him before but in the last two months the house had felt unusually empty and forlorn. He hated to admit it to himself but he missed Rukia, he missed sensing her reiatsu all in the house and on the grounds. He had sworn never to let his emotions weaken him but she had still managed to get under his skin, her warmth reaching him despite the icy distance he kept between them.

He opened the doors of the furniture that housed a last reminder of her; her eternal soft smile betrayed by the slight pain in her eyes greeted him as always. She had the same smile when he first met her under sakura blossoms. It had been a surreal vision to him at that time; he never told her how moved he was by her first sight. He had slipped away from the party being held at his residence, his grand father was celebrating his decision to retire and leave the position of patriarch to him. Such family gatherings made him a bit uneasy; his cousins got drunk and fooled around with the geishas appointed from the most prestigious houses in the Rukongai.

His cultured and disciplined demeanour made it difficult to feel at ease in such situations, moreover he was slightly worried at the responsibilities he would soon have to endorse, he was afraid of disappointing his grand father. The kindly old man had taken upon him to raise his favourite grand child when his eldest son and daughter in law had perished. His grand father's upbringing had been firm but loving, however scarred by his tragic loss he was afraid to bond with people and always kept them at a distance even with his lovers he was only physically close, speaking of which his grand father had hinted that it was time for him to take a wife. He had had a string of casual but discreet affairs but had no particular affection for any of the ladies and was pondering whether it would be best to let his grand father choose a bride for him.

Lost in his musings he had steadily been making way towards his favourite corner of the garden, it was a warm full moon spring night and the cherry blossoms had something magical in moon light. He had not realised that someone was already at his usual spot, a very small and petite woman dressed in a long dark blue kimono, he stopped dead in his tracts and the woman who had her back turned to him realised his presence. She turned around startled, her eyes widened in fear, and started bowing and apologizing profusely. Byakuya was barely listening to her, his mind remained focused on the sight that had graced him a few seconds earlier, her lovely dark eyes, cherry blossoms in her midnight black hair and the lovely face that seemed carved in porcelain. He had seen more beautiful women but this one entranced him, there was something ethereal in her delicate beauty.

His mind finally registered that she was talking to him, and he recognized the crest of the geisha house on her kimono that had sent the entertainers to his house today but she was not one of them as she was dressed quite plainly, and had no make up on.

"_What are you doing here"_ he asked more harshly than he intended, but relieved at finding his voice.

'_I'm sorry to intrude in your garden' _she began meekly, _"I came with the geishas, I'm an apprentice, I assist them with their dresses and make up, I had to wait for them to finish in the servants' quarters but I could not resist taking a walk here. If you'll excuse me, I'll leave immediately."_

"_You can stay, your presence does not disturb me" _he found himself saying much to his own surprise and was graced with an enchanting smile.

They stayed admiring the cherry blossoms for quite sometime in silence though Byakuya was rather observing her from the corner of his eyes. She finally broke the silence:

"_You have a really beautiful garden, Kuchiki-sama"_

He smiled and replied:

"_They say that these blossoms are the most beautiful in all soul society" _

She smiled somewhat mischievously and said:

"_I wouldn't be too sure about that, the district 1 of the southern alley has beautiful trees too"_

"_Really, I'd have to see that for myself. Would you mind acting as my guide?" _he could not resist retorting

She was startled by the turn of conversation and mumbled something about this not being proper, and excused herself. He could not help laughing at her confusion and she stared at him with her beautiful eyes round with surprised.

"_At least tell me your name" _he said to her retreating figure, she turned around blushing scarlet and murmured: _"Hisana, my name is Hisana"_

"Hisana" he murmured to himself as she watched her leave, he knew he had acted unbelievably boldly and not appropriate to his position but something about that woman captivated him and made him drop down the walls he had erected around him. He had already memorised the name of the establishment she worked for and resolved to pay a visit there as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he had a curious overwhelming desire to see her again.

Their too short time together had not allowed him to have as many cherry blossom viewing parties as he would have wished, but he always remembered the petals in her hair the first time they had met. With a smile Rukia's fondness for climbing cherry trees to watch flowers fall down instead of watching from below came unbidden to his mind. She always did that, thinking that he was unaware of her habit but he often watched her doing so from the house. These memories irked him as regret began to pour into his heart.

"_I'm sorry Hisana, I did my best but I won't be able to keep my promise to you"_ he said softly as he closed the doors of the cabinet, wondering why he felt so devastated.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: See chapter one!

A/N: I'm sorry for the long time I've taken to update but I've been really busy since I've started college. There's more Byakuya/Hisana interaction here and sorry if Byakuya is so OOC . Please R&R

The days following his meeting with Hisana passed as a blur and they seemed to drag on endlessly. He often wondered if he was losing his mind out of the desire to see that woman again but he waited several days before making an attempt to meet her and he tried to convince himself that he was not nervous. How could he the next head of the Kuchiki clan and the vice- captain of the division six be nervous about meeting a woman, a commoner too at that one, while the noble ladies of reputable families flocked around him? Despite all his doubts, he already had a half planned scheme in his head to see her again. She worked at a very exclusive geisha house which had its own teahouse attached to entertain clients. His noble status would ensure his welcome there. But he still could not make his mind up which was a first for him. His superiors who usually praised him for his detachment and cool headedness would be surprised at his current state. While most people hadn't noticed his current state, he had not been able to escape the watchful eyes of Ukitake and Kyoraku.

Ukitake-senpai merely smiled and asked to be presented to the lady who had such an effect on him when Byakuya failed to answer his greetings thrice, so lost he was in his thoughts. However the exuberant Kyoraku could not let the opportunity pass as he hugged him and started bawling at the top of his voice about the beauty of love and advice on courting. Noticing the rapid rise of reiatsu level in the younger man, Ukitake wisely retreated dragging his friend with him. That was the last straw, he would not go around like a love stuck fool like Kaien Shiba and firmly made up his mind to go to the Rukongai this evening itself. After office hours, instead of mediating as was his habit, he changed into a formal attire of dark grey hakama pants and kimono made his way to the geisha alley in district one. As he walked along the lively street, numerous people bowed to him and greeted him due to his kenseikan but he was surprised at how many people recognised him as the Kuchiki heir even though he had never been there before.

As such he soon found himself standing in front of the elegant façade of the establishment where she worked and hesitating to enter, when one of the older women affected to welcoming visitors saw him and recognised him. She hissed at her companion "Go get Mother, tell her that the Kuchiki lord is here" and she hurried out to welcome him inside. As soon as he was ushered in the elegant porch, slightly bewildered, an ornately dressed woman took over and guided him upstairs to a large tea room and chatting as she lead him on. Byakuya followed her silently and studying the architecture of the house. He was surprised to find such beauty and elegance outside he sereitei and was wondering how he could meet Hisana. He was vaguely familiar with the workings of a geisha house, he knew that he would be given a tea room and a few geishas will come to entertain him with dance, music, conversation and pour him sake and he knew as well that Hisana was still an apprentice and would not be sent to entertain an important guest as him. He could not ask for her as it may cause trouble for her and he was slightly worried at how she would react if she knew he was pursuing her. He suppressed a sigh of frustration as he took a seat in the room.

The room was a large spacious one, with a window looking out to the garden of the geisha house. For the next two hours he was bored witless while the three geishas affected to him tried to amuse him with singing, dancing and games. He merely sipped the warm Sake and pretended to be interested in their acts as he sat there feeling like a fool. Tired of listening to the three women, he asked of them to play the so-no-koto so that he could have some peace. He was almost ready to go where there was a knock and a familiar voice asked permission to enter. He was ashamed to admit that his heart skipped a beat when he heard it, and his heart beat sped up when she entered the room with Sake refills. He could not take his eyes off her as he watched her entering the room, sitting on her heels to close the door. Her every movement was an epitome of grace and he was entrance like in their first meeting.. She approached him with her tray of sake bottles and she seemed even more beautiful than in his memories, alabaster white skin set off by her dark blue kimono and onyx black hair, however she kept her eyes carefully lowered and made no sign that she recognised him. He was feeling disappointed as she placed the sake in front of him still looking down but as she turned to go, she raised her eyes a fraction if a second to meet his, saw a brief spark of joy light them up. He felt as he were drowning in their violet depths and felt lightheaded.

A few seconds after she left he got up and excused himself to use the bathroom. Normally one of the geishas would accompany if but he dismissed them and simply asked for directions. He left the room with three surprised women behind and using his Shinigami skills tracked down Hisana and sped to join her. She had not felt him approach and squeaked as she felt his hand on her shoulder in the deserted corridor. "I need to speak to you" he said urgently. She merely nodded and led him to a small empty room nearby.

As soon as he entered she close the door and bowed low to him and nervously said, "my lord Kuchiki-sama, what can I do for you?'. He smiled at her stiffness but suddenly felt nervous himself, what if she didn't want to see him or speak to him? But he wanted to try nonetheless and took a deep breath and launched himself: "I wanted to see you". She smiled shyly and replied, 'so did I'

"But here is not the right place' she finished dejectedly

"When can we meet then?" he asked taking her small hands in his, abandoning all sense of propriety

She hesitated briefly said: Near the end of district one, in the alley of cherry blossoms; we can meet during daytime when I don't work. Now please go before someone sees us 

"Tomorrow?" he asked as he held her hands tighter.

"Tomorrow just before Sunset" She replied with a smile and a squeeze of his hands.

With great effort he let go of her and left the room. He was smiling so broadly and paid so generously as he left the geisha house that the Mother of the establishment and the geishas felt that they had a new regular client. However he couldn't care less as he walked away longing for tomorrow to come sooner.


End file.
